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Ohio State Football: Ranking the top 3 OSU-UM games in last 15 years

By David Wysong

Troy Smith helped lead number one ranked Ohio State to a 42-39 victory in the epic 2006 game. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Troy Smith helped lead number one ranked Ohio State to a 42-39 victory in the epic 2006 game. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OH – NOVEMBER 18: Fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate on the field with players (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – NOVEMBER 18: Fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate on the field with players (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

2. 2006: Ohio State prevails in a battle of one versus two

This game had a lot riding on it for both teams as Ohio State was 11-0 and ranked No. 1 while Michigan was also 11-0 and ranked No. 2. Here is the recap, again according to ESPN.

Michigan took the 7-0 lead in this one on a Mike Hart TD run but OSU QB Troy Smith tied it up on a touchdown pass to Roy Hall, making it 7-7, and that was the score at the end of the first quarter.

Chris “Beanie” Wells gave Ohio State a 14-7 lead on a 52-yard rushing touchdown and then Smith found Tedd Ginn Jr. for a 39-yard touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead. Michigan quarterback Chad Henne threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Arrington to make it 21-14 though, but Smith found Anthony Gonzalez a couple of minutes later to make it 28-14 heading into halftime.

Hart then scored on a rushing touchdown early in the third quarter for Michigan and then the Wolverines sunk a 39-yard field goal a few minutes later, making it 28-24 with 8:41 left in the third. Ohio State running back Antonio Pittman, however, ran it in from 56 yards out to make it 35-24 with 8:04 left in the third.

Hart then scored again on a short-yardage TD run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, making it 35-31, but Smith found Brian Robiskie for a 13-yard touchdown to make it 42-31 with 5:38 left.

Henne then kept it close on a 16-yard TD pass to Tyler Ecker and then they successfully scored on the two-point conversion to make it a three-point game, 42-39 with 2:16 left. A few successful Pittman rushes, though, ran out the clock for the Buckeyes on the next possession and Ohio State won 42-39.

Smith was 29-of-41 passing for 316 yards, four touchdowns and one interception while Pittman ran for 139 yards on 18 carries. Ginn had eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.

For Michigan, Henne was 21-of-35 through the air for 267 passing yards and two touchdowns while Hart ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Arrington had five catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.

That game was huge as Ohio State went on to play in the national championship. This next one was also huge and was even more recent.

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